Combined elevator and rock picker



Nov. 28, 1944. M. MADSEN ET AL COMBINED ELEVATOR AND ROCK PICKER Filed July 21, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l r n v MAR T/IY MA 035 0/10 g e n t Nov. 28, 1944. M. MADSEN ETAL COMBINED ELEVATOR AND ROCK PICKER Filed July 21, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snnentorg: M4277 44/2035 and M41. 75p M. M40 SE/V.

(Ittorneg Nov. 28, 1944.

M. MADSEN ET AL COMBINED ELEYATOR AND ROCK PICKER s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 21, 1943 Zmventora MAI? 7/ MA 035/) arm TEA M. MAD'SE/Y,

Gttorneg Patented Nov. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED ELEVATOR AND ROCK PICKER Martin Madsenand Walter M. Madsen,

Alhambra, Calif.

' Application July 21, 1943, Serial No. 495,664

13 Claims.

Our invention relates to a device which may be used for elevating or screening materials, and

relates in particular to a device which may be readily converted from one of its forms to the other.

In fields of agriculture, road construction grading operations, construction of rock fills, etc., it is frequently desirable to elevate various types of materials and also it is-\ frequently desirable that certain objectionable oversize aggregates be removed from a designated mass of material. For

example, in road making it is possible to use our invention to remove oversize objects or aggregates, thereby leaving a material of desirable consistency, or, in accordance with given specifications, for use as a road base, earth fill, revetment structure, or agriculture ground of desirable consistency.

It is an object of the invention to provide an implement having an elevator comprising bucket members which may be readily converted from a form wherein materials are merely elevated and dumped either into a suitable receptacle, such as a truck body, or to the side of the path of movement of the device, into a form wherein aggregates of greater size than a prescribed maximum are carried to a suitable point of disposal after being separated from the material which is being screened or classified, the remaining material, free of the oversize pieces or aggregates, being returned to the surface over which the device travels.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of 'this character which is tractor drawn and has wheels so placed that the elevating and screening unit will straddle the windrow of the material which is to be acted upon.

It is an object of the invention to provide a convertible device of the character described which is of simple construction, and which has a part engaging the tractor, which part may be actuated so as to lift the front end of the device whereby the mold board and the forward end ofbe above engagement therewith.

It is an object of the invention to provide this device with a frame having at its forward end a tongue of such strength that it may at times, as hereinafter described, carry the entire weight of the front end of the device, this tongue being attached to the front end of the frame so as to have only vertical movement relatively to .the frame, without lateral movement of the tongue relatively to the frame, thereby producing an operative relation between the device and the tractor, wherein the device follows the tractor without side swing.

It is anobject to provide a device having two means for controlling the height of the front end of the device, one of these means consisting of wheels which are mounted on fixed axles-that is to say, without knuckle joints such as are employed in order to provide a steering movement for the wheels. The other means comprises an adjustment for limiting the vertical movement of the tongue so that in the event the wheels of the unit should drop into a depression, the limitation of the vertical movement of the tongue determines the distance the front end of the device may drop.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for raising the front end of the device vertically so as to provide ample ground clearance for passing over windrows or otherground surface irregularities, consisting of means carried by the device for engaging the tongue and causing upward swinging movement of the rear end of the tongue around a horizontal axis which passes through the forward part of the tongue, and in the preferred practice of the invention, this lifting means preferably serves as a means for limiting. the downward movement of the front end of the device relatively to the tractor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device so constructed that it may be readily converted from a simple elevator to a screening device for removing largesize aggregates from an aggregate mass byremoval from the elevator or carrying members of the device plates or buckets. which cover grill members during the use of the device as an elevator. When these plate or bucket elements are removed, the grill members provide openings through which the acceptable portions of the mass of aggregate may pass, the oversize bodies of aggregate material being carried up over the top of the conveying mechanism and either deposited in a receptacle or carried through a chute to a side of the path of movement of the device.

It is an object'of the invention to provide a device or unit of the character described hereinbefore having a continuous traveler such as-a chain or a plurality of chains which move through a sloping orbit, with reticulated buckets connected to the traveler by pivots and in such a manner that when the buckets are moving upward, they will occupy, a carrying position, but when they are moving downward, through their return path of movement, they swing into open position and have associated stop means to hold them in such positions that openings of maximum size are provided between the buckets or carrying members, so that the screened materials may readily pass therethrough.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

' Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a plan view. of a preferred form of my invention in condition for elevating materials.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, for showing the tongue adjusting or actuating mechanism.

Fig. 4'is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the conveyor mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view taken as indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bucket plate members used to cover the reticules of the grids when the device is used as a simple elevator.

The new device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, has a frame III which, viewed from above, is rectangular in form. It has side bars H and I2 in pairs, these side bars being connected by cross bars |3, I4, l5, etc. The frame also includes a pair of bars |6 which are connected to the side bars II and 2 so as to slope. upwardly and rearwardly, these sloping bars |6 being supported by posts I! and I8.

Bearing members If! and 20, located respectively near the lower andupper ends of the sloping bars l6, carry shafts 2| and 22 on which sprock-' ets 23 and 24 are supported. Continuous traveling members 25 such as chains are looped around the sprockets 23 and 24, and the intermediate portions of these chains are supported by rollers 26 which are mounted on transverse shafts 21. The continuous traveling members 25 support carrying members 28 which, when the traveling members 25 are propelled, will carry Or elevate materials upwardly and rearwardly 4 from the ground and over the shaft 22 and sprockets 24 to a suitable receiver 29 which may be a wagon which is pulled along behind the device, or which may be a chute which will direct the materials discharged from the elevator to one side or the other of the path of movement along which the device is moved. The construction of the traveling member 25 and the carrying members 28 will be later explained in detail.

The implement has front wheels 38 and rear sloping knife member 33 over which the materials will pass into the path of movement of the carrying members 28 as they move upwardly around the sprocket 23.

The cross bars I5 and I5, at the forward end of the side bar I2, support joists 35 to which a gea unit 36 is connected. This gear unit 36 has an input shaft 31 which, as shown in Fig. 2, receives rotative force from a power takeoff shaft 38 of a tractor 39 through a telescopic drive shaft 40 having universal joints 4| at the ends thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, a power shaft 42 extends laterally from the gear unit 36 and has fixed to its outer end a sprocket 43 which, through a chain 44, drives a sprocket 45 which is fixed on an end of the shaft 22, whereby the,

elevator means of the device may be driven by power'received from the tractor to which the device is connected and which pulls the same along the ground. 7

At the forward end of the frame l8 there is a tongue member 46, preferably having the form of anA frame,viewed as in Fig. 1. This tongue 46 is connected to the frame l0 so that it may have only vertical swinging movement. Accordingly, the rearward ends of its legs 41 are hinged upon horizontal pins 48 supported by brackets 49 fixed onthe front end of the frame I. The forward end of the tongue 46 carries a horizontal pin 56 to which a draft link 5| is connected for vertical swinging movement. This draft link has at its front end a vertical opening 52 to receive a vertical pin 53 carried by the pull bar 54 of the tractor 39. The wheels 30 of the device are mounted on a fixed axle 55, and no steering movement of the wheel is provided. For example, when the device is being pulled along the ground as shown in Fig. 2, it is customary to follow a straight path of movement, and where a small deviation from the straight line of movement is required, the wheels 38 are skidded laterally. When the device is being transported, out of service, the front wheels- 36 are raised from the ground and the device then follows the tractor by rolling on the two rear wheels 3| in the manner of a two-wheeled trailer.

The lifting of the front end of the implement is accomplished by the lifting device 56 having a r sector 51 rotatable on a horizontal axle 58 aligned with the pins 48 on which the rear end of the tongue 46 swings. This sector 51 carries a gear segment 59 engaged by a spur pinion 60 which is mounted on a shaft 6| supported by brackets 62 which project forwardly from the frame l8.

One end of the'shaft 6| carries a bevel gear 63 which is engaged by a bevel pinion 64 mounted at the front end of a shaft 65 which is disposed in. longitudinal relation to the frame I0. This shaft 65 carries a worm wheel 66 adapted to be driven by a worm 61 which is fixed on the inner end of the shaft 68 arranged to be rotated by means of a handle 69 disposed at one side of the front end of the frame Ill.

The sector 51 has at the front thereof a foot or rest 18 positioned so that it may be brought v into engagement with an abutment 1| mounted in upwardly projecting relation on the cross member 12 of the tongue 46. This foot 18 is shown in raised relation in Fig. 2, wherein a space exists between the lower face of the foot 18 and the upper face of the abutment 1| so that the tongue 46 may swing relatively upwardly from the horizontal position in which it is shown, thus permitting the front end of the elevating andscreening device to have a limited downwat movement determined by the position of ti foot 10, which is in turn determined by the a\ justment of the sector 51. As shown in Fig. 3,

the foot 16 may be brought into engagement with ;walls 9! and 95 together.

the abutment II, this adjustment being accompllshed by suitable rotation of the handle 88.

from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3,

such counterclockwise rotation will be transmit- I ted to the tongue 48 and will tend to force the leftward or front end of the tongue 88 downward, but since the front end of the tongue 48 is connected to the tractor and therefore cannot be moved downward, the counterclockwise rotative force transmitted through the sector 81 and the abutment II causes the rightward end of the tongue 48 to swing upward around the pivot pin 50, thereby raising the front end of the frame I so that the mold boards 34, the blade. 33 and the wheels 30 will be lifted, with the result that the device will be then supported by its rear wheels 8| and the pull bar 54 of the tractor 39.

Each of the carrying members 28 comprises a transversegrid member 13, having the general form shown in Fig. 8, and a bucket member It having the general form shown in Fig. 7. As

best shown in Fig. 8, each grid member 13 has an intermediate grid section 15 provided with rectangular openings 16, and at the trailing edge 11 thereof a plurality of upstanding fingers I8. Plates 19 project from the ends of the intermediate sections 15 and in alignment with the fingers I8, these plates have upstanding members 80, equipped with bolt openings 8|.

At the forward edges of the plates I9 there are downwardly projecting connector bodies 82 of cylindric form having pin openings 83 and having upwardly projecting lugs 84 which serve as stops, as will be hereinafter described. Along the leading edge 85 of the intermediate section 15, there are spaced projections 88. A feature of the invention is the manner of attaching the grid members I3 to the traveler chain 25 through use of pins 88 which are separate from the pintles 89 employed to connect thelinks of the chain 25. As will be noted from Figs. 4 and 5, the connector bodies 82 project from the end plates 19 of the grid members 13 into spaces between cooperating side plates 90 of the chain 25, and the pins 88 are passed through openings in the central portions of these side plates 90 and through the openings 83 of the body 82 which is disposed between the cooperating side plates 90. With this construction, the pins 88 may be removed without necessity of disassembling the chain 25.

Each bucket member I4, as shown in Fig. '7, has a bottom plate 9| of relatively thin metal with a downwardly bent flange 92 at its forward edgeto project down over the leading edge 85 of the grid member I3, there being openings 93 in the flange 92 through which the projections 85 of the grid member I3 may extend when the bucket I4 is positioned on a grid member as shown in Fig. 4. From the rear edge 94 of the plate 9| a plate 95 extends at an angle of substantially 90 so as to engage or lie in close prox-' imity to the front face of the fingers 18, there being a flange 98 at the outer edge of the plate 95 to extend across the ends of the fingers "I8. Triangular gussets 91 are provided to tie the Near the ends of the walls 95 there are openings 98 positioned so as to align with the openings 8| of the grid mem- \ber I3, through which bolts 99 may be passed.

Accordingly, it is possible to secure the buckets I8 on the grid members 18 by first hooking the projections 88 through the openings 98 and then applying the bolts 99 at the opposite ends of the members 18 and I4.

During the upward movement of the carriers- 28, as indicated by the arrow I00 of Fig. 4, the lower faces of the plates I9 at the ends of the grids "I8 rest upon the upper faces of the chains 25,

and when the bucket members I4 are applied to the grid members 13 so as to form parts of the carriers 28, as shown in Fig. 4, the walls 9| and of the bucket members I4 are disposed diagonally with respect to the vertical and the buckets will carry materials to the top of the elevator and dump the contents thereof. As the carriers 28 are carried around the upper sprocket 22, as indicated by the arrows IOI of Fig. 4, the carriers 28 rotate in counterclockwise direction on the pins 88, which swinging action has the effect of rolling the materials contained in. the buckets outwardly and downwardly into the receiver 29.

As the carriers 28 move downwardly, as indicated by the arrows I02, they occupy hanging positions which are determined by the engagethe pins 88 which would be produced by continu- I ous swinging of the carriers.

When the device is to be used for screening purposes, for example, as a rock picker to remove rocks from aggregate material to be used in surfacing a road, the buckets 14 are removed so that the grid members I3 will act alone as carriers.

In one extensive use of the device, the aggregate materials are formed in windrows along the subgrade on which the road surface is to be formed. The device is pulled along by a. tractor so that the mold boards 34 will lie on opposite sides of the windrow. As the device is pulled forward, the

' aggregate materials pass up over the blades 33 into the path of movement of the grid members I3. Some of the aggregate material will pass through the fingers I8 while other parts of the materials will be carried upward by the upwardly moving grid members I3 along with the-rocks or particles of such large size that they will not pass through the spaces between the fingers and will not pass through the openings of the intermediate section 15 of the grid members. As the grid members I3 are carried upward toward the upper sprocket 22, a screening action will take place. That is to say, the openings of the grid members will permit downward passage therethrough of all objects below a given size, but the larger objects will be carried by the grid members to the top of the elevator-and will be dumped over the upper end thereof into the receiver which, as before stated, may be a wagon attached to and pulled along behind the rock-picking device, or may be a chute which will direct these over-size particles laterally to a place outside the path 0 movement of the device.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an elevating implement of the kind described adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle, the combination of a frame; an elevator for elevating material picked up at or about the ground level, including upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame; driving means extending over said sprocket means; a plurality of carrier means connected to said driving means so as to move therewith, said carrier means each comprising a, grid member having openings therewith and operating as a screen for permitting passage therethrough of the smaller pieces of the material; and a bucket member detachably connected to'the outer portion of each grid member; means to guide the said materials while on the ground into the path of movement of said carrier means; front wheels supporting the forward end of the'frame and elevator; and wheel means for the rear of said frame; and means for adjustably raising and lowering the forward end of said frame and elevator.

2. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame;

upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier means connected to said traveling means so as to move therewith,,said carrier means each comprising a grid member pivotally connected to said traveling means so as to be held in a load carrying position when being moved upwardly by said traveling means and to swing downward into hanging position when being moved downwardly by said traveling means, stop means operative to position said grid member and prevent free swinging movement thereof when it is in said hanging position, and a bucket member detachably connected to the outer portion of said grid member; means to guide materials to be elevated into the path of movement of said carrier means; front and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending from said frame for connection to said motivating vehicle, said tongue having its inner end pivotally attached to said frame so that its outer end will be vertically swingable; and means carried by said frame operative to apply to said tongue a force to rotate the outer end of said tongue downwardly whereby said tongue may be rotated so as to lift an end of said frame from its normal position of operation.

3. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a. frame; upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier means connected to said traveling means so as to move therewith, said carrier means each comprising a grid member pivotally connected to said traveling means so as to be held in a load carrying position when being moved upwardly by said traveling means and to swing downward into hanging position when being moved downwardly by said traveling means, and stop means operative to position said grid member and prevent free swinging movement thereof when it is in said hanging position; means to guide materials to be elevated-into the path of movement of said carrier means; front and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending from said frame for connection to said motivating vehicle, said tongue having its inner end pivotally attached to said frame so that its outer end will be vertically swingable; and means carried by said frame operative to apply to said tongue a'foi'ce to rotate the outer end of said tongue downwardly whereby said tongue may be rotated so as to lift an end of said frame from its normal position of operation.

4. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motihicle.

vating vehicle, the combination of: a. frame; upper and lower sprocket 'means supported by said frame so as to define a sloping path of movement; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier members pivotally conouter end will be vertically swingable; and means 7 carried by said frame and having a part to engage said tongue and apply thereto a. force to rotate the outer end of said tongue downwardly whereby the upward movement of the outer end of said tongue may be limited and whereby said tongue may be rotated so as to lift' an end of said frame from its normal position of operation.

-5. In an elevating implement of the kind described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; a plurality of carrier means connected to said traveling means so as to move therewith, said carrier means each comprising a grid member and a bucket member detachably connected to the outer portion of said gridmember; means to guide materials to be elevated into the path of movement'of said carrier means; front wheels supporting the forward end of the frame and rear wheels for said frame; and means for connecting said frame to said motivating ve- 6. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; upper and lower sprocket means supported by. said frame; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier means connected to said traveling means so as to move therewith, said carrier means each comprising a grid member pivotally connected to said traveling means so as ber and prevent free swinging movement thereof when it is in said hanging position, and a bucket member detachably connected to the outer v portion of said grid member; means to guide materials to be elevated into the path of movement of said carrier means; front and rear wheel means for said frame; and means for connecting said frame to said motivating vehicle.

7. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of a frame; upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier means connected, to said traveling means so as to move' therewith, said carrier means each comprising a grid member pivotally connected to said-traveling means so as to be held in a load carrying position when being moved upwardly by said traveling means and to swing downward into hanging position when being moved downwardly by said traveling means, and stop means operative to position said grid member and prevent free swinging movement thereof when it is in said hanging position; means to guide materials to be elevated into the path of movement of said carrier means; front and rear wheel means for said frame; and means for connecting said frame to said motivating vehicle.

8. In an elevating device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; upper and lower sprocket means supported by said frame so as to define a sloping path of movement; traveling means extending over said sprocket means; carrier members pivotally connected to said traveling means so as to be held in load carrying position when being moved upwardly by said traveling means and so as to swing downwardly into hanging position when being moved downwardly by said traveling means; stop means carried by said carrier members for engaging said traveling means by gravity for-holding the descending buckets in a relatively fixed relation with respect to the traveling means; front and rear wheel means for said frame; and means for connecting said frame to said motivating vehicle.

9. In a device of the character described. adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; working means carried by said frame; front and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending from said frame for connection to said motivating vehicle, said tongue having its inner end pivotally attached to said frame so that its outer endwill be vertically swingable; and means carried by said frame and having a part movably mounted on said frame and movably adjustable down onto said tongue, and thereby raising the adjacent end of said frame with respect to the tongue.

10. In an elevating implement of the kind described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle. the combination of: a frame; an elevator carried by said frame; guiding means to guide materials to the elevator; front wheels located adjacent to, and supporting, the weight of the forward end of the frame and elevator and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending from said frame with means for effecting a pivotal connection to said motivating vehicle, said tongue having its inner end pivotally attached to said frame so that its inner end can swing up or down; a lifting device mounted on the frame including a movable rest capable of an adjusting movement upward away from the tongue or downward to engage the tongue and continue its downward movement thereafter to raise the frame relatively to said tongue to lift the guiding means and the lower end of the elevator to a raised position to clear obstructions at the ground level.

11. An elevating implement according to claim 10 in which the said movable rest constitutes a segment; with a shaft; bearings for the said shaft fixed on the frame; the movement and thrust of said segment against said tongue operating to raise and support the lower end of the elevator in its said raised position.

12. In a'device of the character described, adapted to be towed by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; working means carried by said frame; front and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending from said frame having means for connecting its forhicle, said tongue having itsrear end pivotally attached to said frame so as to be. vertically swingable; and an adjustable stop movably mounted on the frame and arranged to be moved down onto the tongue so as to limit the downwardmovement of said frame relatively to said tongue. i

13. In a device of the character described, adapted to be moved along by a motivating vehicle, the combination of: a frame; working means carried by said frame: front and rear wheel means for said frame; a tongue extending forwardly from said frame having :means for connecting its forward end tosaid motivating vehicle, said tongue having its rear end pivotally attached to said frame so as to be vertically swingable; an operating member unattached to said tongue, movably mounted on the frame so as to have operative movement relatively to said tongue member to engage and thrust downwardly against the tongue; a shaft member adapted to 'be rotated; and reduction gear means between said shaft member and said operating member to transmit force through said operating member to said tongue to rotate the same in such manner that the rear end of said tongue will swing upwardly so that the forward end of said frame will be lifted from its normal level of operation.

M'ARTIN MADSEN. WALTER M. MADSEN. 

